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Digital Modeling for Bioarchaeologists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2019

Gabriel D. Wrobel ,
Jack A. Biggs  and
Amy L. Hair
Gabriel D. Wrobel*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, 655 Auditorium Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Jack A. Biggs
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University, 655 Auditorium Drive, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Amy L. Hair
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of Southern Mississippi, Liberal Arts Building 428, 118 College Drive, Box #5074, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
*
([email protected], corresponding author)
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Abstract

The creation of digital repositories of human skeletal remains offers bioarchaeologists a variety of potential means of aiding efforts related to curation and analysis. We present a discussion of how issues of preservation and access can affect research and argue that digital repositories not only maintain a record of objects but that the digital format allows researchers to expand their studies to include otherwise inaccessible collections. Digital models can be utilized by bioarchaeologists to collect and analyze a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative data. We review several digital capture methods employed by bioarchaeologists, including CT scanning, laser scanning, and photogrammetry. While photogrammetry is underutilized by bioarchaeologists, we point out its many advantages over other methods.

La creación de repositorios digitales de restos óseos humanos ofrece una variedad de medios potenciales para auxiliar a los bioarqueólogos en esfuerzos relacionados con la curación y el análisis. Presentamos una discusión sobre cómo las investigaciones pueden verse afectadas por problemas de preservación y acceso, y argumentamos que los repositorios digitales no solo mantienen un registro de objetos, sino que el formato digital permite a los investigadores ampliar sus estudios para incluir colecciones inaccesibles. Los bioarqueólogos pueden utilizar los modelos digitales para recopilar y analizar una amplia variedad de datos cuantitativos y cualitativos. Revisamos varios métodos de captura digital empleados por los bioarqueólogos, incluidos la tomografía computarizada, la exploración láser y la fotogrametría. La fotogrametría está actualmente infrautilizada por los bioarqueólogos, y abogamos por su uso mediante la identificación de ventajas relacionadas con su costo, eficiencia y capacidad para proporcionar texturas de superficie.

Keywords

Photogrammetry3-D modelingdigital archaeologycranial morphologypreservation and access3-D datasetsDigital Bioarchaeological Datadigital repositoriesfotogrametríamodelado tridimensionalarqueología digitalmorfología cranealpreservación y accesoconjuntos de datos tridimensionalesdatos bioarqueológicos digitalesalmacenes digitales
Type
Articles
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 7 , Special Issue 1: The Practice and Ethics of Skeletal Conservation , February 2019 , pp. 47 - 54
Copyright
Copyright 2019 © Society for American Archaeology 

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Footnotes

Out of respect for diverse cultural traditions, sensitive photographs of human remains generally are not accepted for publication in any SAA journals, however some waivers of this policy are allowed by the editorial policies, when other alternatives to photography are not effective. Articles in Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(1), a theme issue on The Practice and Ethics of Skeletal Conservation, discuss the need for sensitive and ethical care of human skeletons as they are excavated, documented, conserved, and curated by archaeological projects conducted around the world. Selected images of human skeletons are published here to support education about the best treatments for these human ancestors. No images of Native American or First Nation ancestors are published in this issue. Prior to publication, figures in these manuscripts were carefully reviewed by the Society for American Archaeology president and president-elect.

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